Pride and Prejudice for the Modern Woman
Let us imagine how Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's most famous work, might be updated, 200 years on.
Austen's popularity is rooted in her intelligence. But today she would certainly have had a very different life, as would her characters. Here's my own suggestion. . .
It is a truth finally and universally acknowledged that a single woman with brains deserves to have equal opportunities to men, however disadvantaged she may feel by sexism.
My dear husband, said his hopeful wife one day, have you heard that the local store, standing empty for so long, is taken over by a bright young businesswoman?
Her dull and indifferent (漠不关心的) husband replied that he had not. But it is, it is, she replied excitedly. Mr Dull-Husband made no reply.
Don't you want to know her plans? she cried with some impatience.
Well, clearly you think it matters to your silly little head. .. so I'd better listen.
Well, my dear, the rumour (传言) is that she has already set up a string of successful businesses in northern England, though how a woman can know anything about that is beyond me. She will move in herself next monthWhat is her name? Bingley.
Is she married or single?
What a question! And none of your business. But her ing will be a fine thing for our five boysHow so? How can it possibly affect them?
My dear love; those lazy boys need something to wake them up. There are bound to be jobs going.
Is that her point in settling here? Surely as a woman she has simply taken a fancy to the place.
Nonsense, my love, how little you've noticed the world has changed. She's got a first-rate degree and some sort of business qualification, I'm told. She surely needs one of our boys! Perhaps you might give her a call.
Me? No. Perhaps you can take an interest. You still have your looks, after all. She may even offer you a jobOh, that's not likely. These new chances belong to the younger generation. But now you mention it, I think I'll go along all the same.
And Mrs Bennet went along. That was 10 years ago. She is now managing director of a FTSE-listed pany.
... It would remain the case, of course, that Mrs Bennet would be one of very few women on the pany board, that her salary would be lower than her male colleagues, her bonus of a more female dimension and her lifespan (年限) among the city's business leaders shorter than theirs. Still, she'd no doubt have enjoyed Davos—and might even have hobnobbed (攀谈) with influential figures.
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?A．Austen was born 200 years ago.B．Austen rewrote Pride and Prejudice.C．Austen's success lies in her wisdom.D．Austen's updated work gains popularity.【小题2】The underlined part in the passage suggests that Mrs Bennet .A．had mixed feelings of admiration and surprise about BingleyB．felt kind of worried and doubtful about BingleyC．was extremely anxious to meet BingleyD．had a great curiosity about Bingley【小题3】In the eyes of Mrs Bennet, Bingley surely needed one of their boys to .A．get married toB．work for herC．help her move inD．take over her store【小题4】What does the writer intend to tell us?A．Women with brains can also be as successful as men.B．Women have to pay a high price for success.C．A judgment must be made free from prejudice.D．Sex discrimination still exists nowadays.C
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(答案→)C
解析：
【主旨大意】D篇文章巧妙套用世界名著《傲慢与偏见》章节，独辟蹊径夹叙夹议，深刻评述性别歧视依然存在的这一社会现实。
【小题1】考查细节题。从文章的第二段的句子：Austen’s popularity is rooted in her intelligence。可知奥斯丁的成功在于她的智慧。选C。A项错误，因为这本书是200年前写的，不是奥斯丁是200年前出生的。B项是根据文章的第一句话，可知是人们想象的《傲慢与偏见》更新版，不是奥斯丁重写的。D项错误因为文章没有说更新作品收到欢迎。选C
【小题2】考查句意理解题。这句话的理解关键是beyond me的解释，这个词组是“超出我的理解”，我不能理解一个女性是怎么知道这些东西的，说明Mrs Bennet对Bingley既敬佩又惊讶。选A
【小题3】推理题。从文章的句子：There are bound to be jobs going。和倒数第二段的句子：You still have your looks, after all. She may even offer you a job.可以推断出，Mrs Bennet认为Bingley会需要她的儿子工作。选B。
【小题4】推理题。从文章的最后一段的内容：Mrs Bennet would be one of very few women on the pany board, that her salary would be lower than her male colleagues,可知公司委员会的女性还是很少，Mrs Bennet的奖金还是比男性同事要少。可知性别歧视还是存在。选D。